May 8 '07: The Department of Homeland Security must coordinate and support the 17 information-sharing networks better according to a Government Accountability Office report released recently. The report recommended that to improve coordination among the information networks, DHS officials must "implement coordination and collaboration practices, and ensure its efforts are consistent."

To date, the report found that the federal information-sharing networks cost annually $839.1 million. There are also efforts to improve coordination and collaboration "including establishing an advisory committee to obtain state and local views on network operations.

DHS also plans to coordinate its efforts with the Administration's Information Sharing Environment," the report continued.

If the department can wrangle control of the information networks effectively, the report concluded, coordination and collaboration with other federal agencies such as the Department of Justice will help to eliminate some of the barriers such as stove-piping, that hamper counterterror and homeland security efforts.